Wire printer



March 19, 1957 F. J. FURMAN ETAL 2,785,628

WIRE PRINTER Filed Dec. 30, 1954 BY 8 f ii wv ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 2,785,628 WIRE PRINTER Frank J. Furman and Harold J. Kistner,Endicott, N. Y.,

assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 30, 1954, Serial No.478,651 15 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to wire printersand more particularly to wire printers wherein the print wires, to forma character pattern on a matrix containing their print ends, are presetso that they may undergo yielding displacement during printing impact tocreate characters whose component dots are of uniform impression.

It is heretofore been proposed (United States patent application No.255,391, particularly Fig. 7, of Reynold B. Johnson, filed November 8,1951, and issued as Patent No. 2,730,040 on January 10, 1956) to presetprint wires by means of a milled code rod operating upon the equallyspaced, parallelly extending, and aligned control ends of print wires.Such a rod is formed with high and low portions so that when one of thecode rod and aligned control ends is moved against the other, thosewires which are abutted by high portions are displaced longitudinallyrelative to those which are received in the low portions or notches. Ina milled code rod, notches are provided on each of four sides of anotherwise solid rod. The diameter and the spacing of the print wires issuch that a number of high and/or low portions occur on each of the foursides of the code rod between adjacent print wires. Thus, it can be seenthat, by providing for rotation of the code rod so that any of its foursides can be presented to the print wire control ends and also for itstranslation so that any of the successive high and/or low portions foreach print Wire control end can be aligned therewith for movementthereagainst, the selection of a large number of different characterpatterns may be readily effected; the maximum number being equal to theproduct of the number of high and/ or low portions for each print wirecontrol end and the number of code rod sides. In the embodimentsdisclosed in the above identified application, this number would totalforty-eight, as provision was made for twelve axial positions on each offour radial spaced code rod positions.

The construction of a milled code rod is a difficult and time-consumingand, hence, costly operation. In forming the transverse cuts in such arod, considerable heat is developed with the result that the rodundergoes expansion. Thus, not only must the cuts be made at low speed,but some time must be allowed to elapse between cuts to allow forcooling off of the rod so that the new cuts may be accurately located-But the wastage of time is not the only disadvantage; the repeatedheating and cooling of the rod reduces its temper so that it must beheat-treated again. It is the necessity for this heat treatment thatrenders the construction of a milled code rod onerous, for it isextremely diflicult to heat-treat such a rod and yet maintaindimensional stAability. In other words, a heat treatment tends to renderthe milled rod inaccurate.

Then, too, in more recent wire printer developments, speed has been aprime consideration. In the design of high-speed machines, however, itis desirable that the moving parts be formed of low mass inasmuch asthis provides for low inertia with attendant light energy expenditures,reduced wear and tear, and quietness of oper-.

ation. One way of obtaining low mass is by reducing the size of thevarious moving parts. Normally, this is not attended to wtihoutdifficulties, particularly as concerns strength, which usually isproportional to the amount of material employed. A milled code rod hasother limitations in this respect, as it is almost impossible to reducethe size of the code rod to a desired degree without sacrificing .thedifferential displacement between the set and preset wires, as themilled rod cannot be cut even to the center line of the nod. In otherwords, a milled code rod must have a minimum diameter in order toprovide the desired displacement and to provide the necessary rigidityof construction.

Accordingly, a main object of the invention is to provide a code nodwhich is easy and inexpensive of construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a code rod or wiresetting device which can be advantageously utilized in high-speedprinters.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a code rod havingthe desired properties of low mass but yet high strength.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a code rod whichprovides the desired relative displacement between the preset andnon-set print wires.

According to the invention the wire setting device or code rod is formedas a perforated hollow cylindrical rod or tube of steel or likematerial. The rod is radially perforated at those points which, for agiven shifted position of the device, are aligned with the control endsof those print wires which form no part of the corresponding desiredcharacter pattern, just as the code rod is milled at similar points.However, in contrast with the milled code rod, the maximum amount ofdifferential displacement which can be imparted to the preset and nonsetprint wires is determined by the sum of the interior diameter and thethickness of the wall of the tube, as the preset print wires could bemoved this distance before the non-set print wires engaged the interiorsurface of the code rod wall opposite that facing the print wirecontrolends.

A wire setting device constructed as a perforated hollow rod combinesthe desired qualities of low mass and high strength, for the eliminationof the center portion of a rod eliminates much of the mass without acommensurate reduction in the strength and stability. Moreover, themaking of perforations instead of transverse cuts in a rod removes muchless material from the periphery of the rod and hence results in astronger and more rigid wire setting device.

A perforated hollow code rod or tube is also easy and inexpensive ofconstruction. Almost any standard tubular steel stock may be employed asno close tolerances are required, except to some extent in the externaldiameter. The formation of the perforations in the tube is a simplematter of drilling the tubes at the proper points, as, for example, by atemplate controlled pantograph machine. The wire printer requirementthat the means for imparting translation and rotation to a code rod befixed in a machine, and hence non-movable with the code rod in itsdisplacements toward and away from the print wire control ends, may bereadily complied with as by reducing, by drawing, for example, one endof the control rod and sweating it on one end of a flexible: stem havingits other end associated with the rotation and translation impartingmeans.

A further feature of the invention is that the control ends of the printwires operated by the code rod may be spaced closer together thanheretofore, with the result that wire printers of more compact designare obtained.

'the control points to be spaced closer in the radial directio'nbecause'the making of perforations removes much less" surfacematen'alfrom arod'than millingopera'tions In the instant embodimenta code rodhaving seven different and equally spaced sides is provided instead ofone having theconventi'onal' four: Since the" number of characterpatterns which maybe formed is, within the limits defined by the num'ber"of print wires. employed, equal to'the product'of the radial and axialpositionsin which the" code-rod-may be disposed, it follows that byincreasing'the number of radial positions, the number of axial positionsand hencethe length of the code rod maybe re'duced' withoutaffecting-the number of character patterns which can be selected:

The other reas'on is that the use ofperforations' which are circula'ren'able's' the'control points also 'to' be" spaced closer in the axialdirection. Less materialmustbe left betweendowportionsorperforationstofo'rm a' high p'ortiomorland, as no long" thin walbofmaterial betweencuts is involved; rather, thematerialto either' side of" a center lineconnecting adjacent perforations rapidly fans out to for'm a broadorreinforeing base for the: very small amount of material constituting ahigh p'ointor land 'between-perforations' Moreover; adjacent lowportions or perforations may overlap." Evidently, then, if the controlpoints may-be located 'closer to each other, the 'code 'rod can be-further shortened.

Other objects of 9 the-inventionwill be pointed out in-the followingdescription'and claims andillustrated in the: accompanying drawings,whichdi'sclose; by 'way of example,the principleof the in'vention andthe best mode which has'b'ee'n' contemplated of applying that principle.

In-the drawings Fig. l" is a vertical view partly in section'ofstructure's embodyinga coderod constructed according to the i-ns'ta nv Iinvention;

Ei'g z-2is -an-enlargedview; partly in" section, of a portionofvtheapparatus shown in" Fig. 1.

Fig. 3' is a view taken along' the section line 3"3"of' Fig. 2'.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, a typical high: speed printerenvironment for the code rod constructed according to'theinvention'isshown. In high-speed wire printers wherein movable parts preferably areformed of:low. mass and-yet-high strength, a code rod '10 is.

shown: asb'eing: slidably mounted in a carrier tube 12.1 Thls .carri'e'rtube is mountedin' a housing or bail which guides-the control ends-14aof'a plurality of print. Wires. 14 andtlis reciprocable: in'thedirectionof these control. ends to.move'the*-code-rod, which would already havebeen shifted to a particular position if printing is.t occur;agamstthe-'printwire control ends to effecta. differentials displacementthereof.

The=housing "orbail is formed-of twoparts, aback 14m Thefront plate'18is provided with a number of extensions 18a which encompass the tube12-and hold'it in. the vertically aligned grooves in the lugs'l'fiazWhen the housing or bailis moved in the direction of the print wirecontrol ends,'.the.control ends remain in place with the housingmovingrelative to them.

Thehousingorbail itself may be supported "for sliding movement:by-meansof lowerand upper guides 20 and."

22. suitablyfixed'in thexmachine. A pair of springs '24- act upon thehousing at all times to urge it inthe direction away; from theprint-wire control ends; Theposition oi 4.; the housing is at all timesdetermined by operating elements," such as the parts 26, which act upon;co'r-' responding lugs 16a of the back plate 16.

The operating elements 26, which may be slidably sup ported in guides25, haven-normal position which may be determined through. abutting.relationship with corresponding synchronously operated cams 27, and.the. springs 24 cause the housing to be positionedina normal positionaccording, to the location of the operatingelemerits. 26. In thisnormalposition of the housing, the code rod it is free and clear of the.print wire control ends 14a and thus may be shifted to any desiredposition. When the operating elements 26 are displaced from thenormalposition by the. rotating cams. 27;,,t heytmove the housing againsttheprint wire control. ends-,, whi chs; remainin place as they areslidablyaecommodated within; thechannels formed inv the front plate 1 3engaging sur: face. of the backplate 16. This: movement of-:.th.ehousing, will be .suflicient to bring the.prinrwirecontrol ends. intothe. carrier tube through. openings fall-formed. therein opposite therespective print wires. Movement of,,.th. housing continues so thatthose .print'wires whichnare aligned. withv a perforation 32. in thecode .rod;10; enter the code rod therethrough for a. considerabledistance, as. may be. best seen by the dotted line position of;.thcvcode rod andcarrier tube in Fig. 3. On thetotherhand those print Wirecontrol endswhich donot findthemselves alignedwith a perforation but.rather with. ailand in the code rodlwill. be displaced longitudinally ofthe, remainderof such print wires by the distancethat. the: noneselectedprint wires enter the codev rod, as shown. inFig'. 3.

As. best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the code rod is formed of seven..evenlyspaced columns, numbered. H, 1,2,3, 4,; 5, and .6. (Fig. 3), ofvariously spaced perforations 32.; Thecode rod perforations 32, each ofa size sufficient to readily accommodatea corresponding print wirecontrol; end 14a, are small compared to the distance between. ad:j'acentprint wires, so that a number, actually 8,,may1bc1 located. ineach column for each print wire. coderod can be rotated to any of sevenradiall-yspaced positions and. translated to any of eight axiallyspaced; positions, it follows thatfifty-six different combinations. of'print wire displacements or character patterns .m.aybe. effected.Conveniently, a home position, having a.- per: foration for each printwire control end,14a,;is;provided.:

forthe code rod,which entails zero radial displacement:

from .the normal position as well aszero axial displace: ment from thenormal position. Inthis .Way, if nosigna'l, or.signals: representativeof a. particulancharacter exist, inwhich case no. axial and/or radialdisplacement wouldt beimparted to-the code rod, nodifferential.;displat:ement.

would beimparted to any of the print. wires. 1.4,. and, hence.nocharacter pattern would be createdson a printi wirematrix which could:result in a character impression:

during .the subsequent printing stroke.v

The. home position of the code rod in the 'axialdireca. tion. occursatthe upper end of its range of movement.- in, other.v words, the coderod is displaced downwardin: order tointroduce character patterns otherthan:v thosewhich can be obtained bymerely rotating the code rodto anyof itsother-seven,. that is, .1 throughz7, positions.v

Thecode rod is biased upwardly to this positionby a. spring34 which isswiveledly corrected to. the. upperend;

of "the code rod 10 so that the latter may rotate,.,at;leas.t-. tosomeextent, independently of the former.

The. shifting of the code rod toits various positions; is accomplished.through a, flexible stem-.36; to-.;-the;upper: end of. which the lowerdrawn. end ofthe code :rod is attacl'ied,v The lowerend of the stem:iseprovi'dedcwithz an.elong ated.ge'ar.35 to which-.rotationmayiberimpattedby a .rackor racksv 49. Axial displacement of the code:rod'is. imparted. thereto by a bifurcated. lever-44-tbmugh. the sternbya thrust washer 42.v mounted onthe -stenr. soas to rest'uponthe upperend of the gear 35.... The. length and fiexibility of thestem 3'6is suchthat'th'c move- Since... the

ment of the code rod toward and away fi'oni the print wire control ends14a may be readily accomplished without requiring movement of therotation and translation movement imparting elements 40 and 44 andotherwise effecting the differential position to which the code rod hasbeen shifted.

Once the code rod has been positioned, it may be moved against the printwire control ends by the operation of the elements 26 as heretoforedescribed to impart a differential setting on the print wires 14. Theprinting stroke, however, does not take place until the housing hasreturned a considerable distance to its original position as the printwires undergo substantial longitudinal displacement upon impact. Theywill not, however, be fully restored by the printing impact, and to thisend the left-hand edge of the back plate 16 is cut away and bentforwardly to form flanges 46 which engage the headed end of the collars48 atfixed to the print wires. This engagement of the headed collars 48by the flanges 46 occurs during the final portion of the movement of thehousing to its normal position, and it results that when the housing isfully restored, all of the displaced print wire control ends will alsohave been fully restored to an aligned condition.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

I. In a high-speed wire printer embodying moving parts of low mass butyet high strength; a plurality of print wires having control ends; and adevice for differentially displacing the print wires disposed oppositethe control ends and comprising a hollow body, and perforations, of asize sufiicient to accommodate the free passage of print Wires, formedin said body; means for adjusting the disposition of the hollow bodyrelative to the control ends; and means for thereafter bodily moving oneof said control ends and said adjusted hollow body into engagement withthe other to displace the print wires aligned with non-perforatedportions of the hollow body longitudinally with respect to thoseentering perforations.

2. In a high-speed Wire printer embodying moving parts of low mass butyet high strength: a plurality of print wires having control endsparallelly extending, aligned, and equally spaced; and a deviceadaptedto be moved against the control ends of the print wirescomprising a hollow generally cylindrical body, and radially extendingperforations, of a size sufficient to accom modate the free passage ofprint wire control ends, formed in said body; means for adjusting thedisposition of the cylindrical body relative to the control ends; andmeans for thereafter bodily moving one of said control ends and saidcylindrical body into engagement with the other to displace the printwires aligned with non-perforated portions of the cylindrical bodylongitudinally with respect to those entering perforations.

3. In a high-speed wire printer embodying moving parts of low mass butyet high strength; a plurality of print wires having control ends; adevice for operating on the control ends of the print wires todiflierentially displace them comprising a hollow body adapted to beshifted to various positions opposite said print wire control ends, andperforations, of a size sufficient to accommodate the free passage ofwires, formed in and about said body so that various ones thereof arealigned with various ones of said control ends when the body has beenshifted to its different positions; means for shifting the hollow bodyto various positions opposite said control ends; and means forthereafter bodily moving one of said control ends and said hollow bodyinto engagement with the other to displace the print wires aligned withnon-perforated portions of the hollow body longitudinally with respectto those entering perforations.

4. In a high-speed wire printer embodying movingparts of low mass butyet high strength; a plurality of print wires having control ends; and adevice for operating on the control ends of the print wires comprising ahollow body, and perforations, of a size sufficient to accommodate thefree passage of wires, formed in and, about said body so that movementof the device to dif-' ferent positions opposite said print wire controlends will.

dispose different perforations opposite various ones of the print wires;means for moving the device to different positions opposite the printwire control ends;

and means for thereafter bodily moving one of saidv control ends andsaid device into engagement with the other to displace the print wiresaligned with non-pe'rforated portions of the hollow body longitudinallywith respect to those entering perforations.

5. In a high-speed wire printer embodying moving parts of low mass butyet high strength; a plurality of, spaced print wires; a device fordifferentially setting saidspaced print wires comprising a tubular bodyadaptedopposite said print wires; and means for thereafter bodily movingone of said control ends and said tubular body into engagement with theother to displace the print,

wires aligned with the non-perforated portions of the tubular bodylongitudinally with respect to those entering perforations.

6. In a high-speed wire printer embodying moving parts of low mass butyet high strength; a plurality ofprint wires having control ends; and adevice for operating upon the control ends of the print wires comprisinga tubular body adapted to be shifted to various positions opposite thecontrol ends of said print wires, and perforations formed in said bodyand adapted to be aligned with various ones of said control ends whensaid body has been shifted to different positions; means for shiftingthetubular body' to various positions opposite the control ends; andmeansffor thereafter bodily moving oneof said control ends'and saidtubular body into engage-' ment with the other to displace the printwires aligned. with non-perforated portions of the tubular bodylongitudinally with respect to those entering perforations. r

7. In a high-speed wire printer embodying moving parts of low mass butyet high strength, a plurality of print wires having control ends; adevice for operating upon the control ends of the print wires comprisinga tubular body adapted to have a home position and be' rotated andtranslated to other positions opposite the control ends of said printwires, perforations formed in said body so as to be aligned with therespective control ends when said body is in the home position, andother perforations formed in said body and adapted to be aligned withvarious ones of said control ends when said body has been rotated andtranslated to a corresponding one of its other positions; means forrotating and translating the tubular body to other positions oppositethe control ends of said print wires; and means for thereafter bodilymoving said tubular body against the controlends of the print wires sothat the control ends aligned with non-perforated portions of thetubular body are longitudinally displaced with respect to those controlends entering perforations.

8. In a high-speed wire printer embodying moving various ones thereof;comprising a tubular body, and radially-and: axially spaced.perforations. of. a size sufficientgito accommodate the. free passage:of print wires formedin said tubular body; meanszfon adjusting the disposition of-the. tubular. body relative to the control ends;

and means for thereafter bodily moving. one. of said.

a'nd-berotated and translated-to other. positions opposite said printwires, and radially and axially spaced perforations forthe respectivecontrol ends formed in said tubularbody and adapted tobe successivelyaligned therewith when. the' tubular body is rotated or translated;meansnfor. rotating and translating the .tubular body to other;positions opposite said print wire control ends;

and means for thereafter bodily moving said tubular.

body-against thecontrol. ends so that the print wires aligned withnon-perforated portionsof the tubular body are longitudinally displacedwith respect to those entering perforations.

lnahigh-speed wire printer embodying moving. partsof low mass but yethigh:strength, aplnrality of. prinL-wires-having equally spaced controlends,.and a.

device for-operating upon the equally spaced control endsof 'th'e print.wires comprising a tubular body adapted.

to be rotated and translatedto various positions opposite said 'printwire control ends and radially and axially spaced perforations for therespective control ends formed in said body andadapted to be.successively aligned there with ..When the tubular body is: rotated ortranslated, means forrotating and translating the tubular body tovarious, positions opposite said print wire control ends, and meansforthereafter bodily moving said tubular body against the control ends sothat the print wires aligned with ..non-perforated portions of thetubular body are longitudinally displaced with respect to those enteringperforations.

11 For use in a high-speed wire printer embodying moving partsof lowmass but yet high strength, a plurality ofzxprint-wires having'controlends, adevice for. differentially setting print wires-comprising atubular body adapted to bemo'ved to different positions opposite saidprint wire-controlends, a stem-fixed to one end of'said.

tubularbody to transmitrotation and translation to said body: to move itto its: different. positions, preforations formed-in said bodyandadapted to be aligned with different-onesof said print wire controlends when the tubular body is in its various positions, means forimparting rotation and translation to said stem for transmissiontosaidtubular bodyto move the latter to its. different-positions, and meansfor thereafter bodily moving said tubular. body against the controlends. so that the print-wiresalignedwith non-perforated portions of thetubular body are longitudinally displaced with respect to thoseenterin-gperforations.

12. For use. in -a-high-speed.. wire. printer embodying moving-parts oflow-mass but yet high strength, a device movable against the controlendsof print wires to differentially'displa'ce them-comprising hollow bodyadapt" ed'to be'shifted'to various positions opposite said print wire"control ends" and thereafter moved thereagainst,

perforations of a size snificientto accommodate thefree v I? 1055 massbut- .yetxhigh't strength; a plurality of: pan wires ihaying controlends;.. and a"device..-movableagainst; theacontrol ends-of the print.wires to. displacev body: has. been shiftednto a corresponding one:aofrfitsivarious; positions; a stem: secured at. one. end-to; oneendEofsaid tubular :body, andimeansrfor; imparting .rota-.

tionz-and-ttranslation:to saidstem to move-:theztubular.

body to itsirvairousrpositions: fixed to.v the; other endz ofi saidstem, said stem being of such lengthandfiexibility aszto,accommodateqmovement ofnthe' tubular. member against said print wire.control ends. without: requiring movement of lthe means for impartingrotation. and: trans-.

lationzto it. and the; body.

13.: For use in: a.high-.speed wire: printer: embodying.

moving parts of low mass-butyet high strength; .a .devicemovableagainst; theycontrol. ends: of 'printwires. to. dif ferentially.displace them-comprising a tubular body adaptedto havea home.positionandibe shifted t'oother; posi-zv tions prior ;to being moved:against the PIlDtLWiI'Q-COIP.

trol ends, perforations formed in said body. so :as to: be.

aligned with the respective print wire control endswhen said body .is'in theahomeposition", other perforations. formed-in-said body}and-adaptedto be aligned with.vari-. ousones-.of said print wire.controlendswhen thebody isinacorresponding. one of its. otherpositions,.a flexible stem-fixedi at one end to one end of' said tubularbody, a gear fixed to the other end of said-stemfor-imparting rotationthereto to. shift the tubular body, a

collet-fixed to .said, stem: to enable translation of said.

body. from its 'h'ome'position, and'm'eans associated with said-tubularbody and stem for .biasingthem sothat the collet' is held; in engagementwith an operating element therefor;

1 4= For useqinr ahigh-speed wire printer. embodying moving partsoflowmass but yet highistrengthz a device adapted to be movedagainst..thecontrol endslofu print.

Wires to differentially displace them comprising a tubular 1 bodyadapted to be; shifted to-variousypositions' opposite said-print wirecontrol ends,.and perforations of a size suflicient to accommodate thefree passag'eof print wires formed in and about said body so thatvarious ones thereofare aligned with various onesofsaid control'endswhenthebody isin itsdifferent positions; a carrier tube for'moving saidtubular body. in its different positions against said print wire controlends; and perforations formed in said carrier tube to permit all of theprint wires to pass; therethrough for displacement-by said device.

15. For .use in ahigh-speed wire printer embodyingv moving parts-oflowmass butyet=high strength: a device adapted to be moved against theequally spaced control size sutficient to accommodate the free passageofprint' wiresformed in said body so that various ones thereofarealigned with various ones of said print wire controlends when saidbody is in its ditferentpositiona'a carrier tube for-moving said tubularbody in its different positicinsxagainst said print wire control ends;and perforations formed in said-carrier tube to permit allof the. printwires topass therethrough for displacement by said device."

References Cited. in the file of, this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS-2,l29,065 Loop .d Sept. 6. 1938 2,524,127 Johnson -n Oct; 3,- 1950.2,653,534 wockenfussu flca Sept. :29, .1953 2,681,614.; Rests-. June 22,1954. 2,702,428 I Hendrich ,Feb. 22,1955: 708,020. Wockenfuss .May 10, 1955 2,730,040 Johnson oundness--- Jan.- 1-0,- 1956

